The Couch
by wonderwaller
Summary: "Are you seriously comparing me to being tortured by four men?" Erin questioned, pulling her face from his chest to look into his light eyes. "Not comparing, there's no competition. Your kind of torture is far worse, trust me." Jay laughed as he began to draw patterns on her arm with his fingers.


Fall's cool breeze began to fill the Chicago night as Jay exited his apartment. He pulled on the front of his leather jacket, pleased with his last minute decision to grab it on his way out. The street was unusually quiet, the beginning of fall clearly encouraging the regulars to stay inside. Normally the change in atmosphere would put Jay on edge, years of experience telling him that the cool air brings new problems. But lately he couldn't feel anything but hope. The strong sense of optimism had been overtaking his life for the past few weeks. She was back. Not just physically but emotionally. His partner had returned and Jay felt like he could finally breathe again. A month ago he was having doubts it would ever happen, his present and future were spiraling out of his reach. No more. Visions of a shared future filled his mind as he guided his motorcycle through the streets of Chicago. Streets that they once again rode together.

Jay's smile filled his face as he slowed his bike to a stop in front of the familiar house. He pulled his helmet off of his head as he took long strides up the walkway to the front door, his fist immediately knocking against the large wooden door.

"I told you you don't have to knock." Hank's gravely voice welcomed Jay into his home, "What are you two up to tonight?"

"Just catching up on some tv." Erin answered from the top of the stairs, hopping down the steps with a lightness neither of the men are used to seeing in her.

"Down here of course." Hank added staring down both of his detectives.

"Hank, we aren't kids." Erin argued, as she took Jay's jacket from him, hanging it on the hook that held her own. She loved seeing how his jacket fit so easily over her own, fitting together like a puzzle.

"My house, my rules." He countered, reaching around Erin for a jacket of his own.

"Of course, sir." Jay interjected, earning a face from Erin along with a muttering of 'suck up' under her breath. "Where are you off to?"

"Poker night at the club. There's beer in the fridge if you want some, Jay." The older man answered, ignoring the antics of his pseudo daughter, "I'll be late."

"Have fun." Jay responded, also choosing to ignore Erin for the time being.

"Stay out of trouble and stay downstairs." Hank warned before closing the door behind him, a tight grin breaking across his face as he left his house. Having Erin home has been like living in a time warp. A time warp he welcomed if Hank was being honest. He missed having family to come home to, missed being able to be a father when he came home. Missed busting the balls of the poor suckers who came to the house to take out Erin.

"I thought he would never leave." Erin exhaled before pulling Jay into a light kiss. "Hi." She smiled as she pulled away slightly.

"Hi." Jay answered with a full grin, his hands falling to a rest around her, "I wasn't expecting that, but boy am I glad you did it."

"I think we've waited long enough." Erin affirmed before rising on her toes to give her partner another quick kiss. "Now, let's go." She commanded before beginning to pull Jay towards the stairs.

"What are you doing?" Jay questioned as he leaned back, somehow resisting her pull.

A look of confusion filled Erin's face as she turned around to face the taller man, "Taking you upstairs."

"But, Hank said we can't." Jay responded in a tone so serious that Erin was positive he could not be kidding.

"Maybe you don't understand me." Erin began, stepping into Jay allowing her body to press softly against his, "I'm taking you upstairs to my bedroom. Where my bed is."

"I thought we were watching tv." Jay resolutely answered, "You know, down here, on the couch like we told Voight."

"You got hit pretty hard the other day, so I'll help you out a bit here." Erin countered, enjoying the feeling of his goose bumps as she played with the hair at the nape of his neck, "I am taking you upstairs to my bedroom where there is a bed, and where I will be, wearing very minimal clothing."

Jay's hands quickly dropped to the back of her thighs as he hoisted Erin in the air, eliciting a joyful giggle of victory from the petite detective that quickly disappeared.

"As tempting as that is, and believe me when I say, it is tempting. Voight asked us to stay down here." Jay explained as he lightly dropped Erin onto the couch before joining her with the remote.

"I've never been shut down before." Erin thought out loud. Not quite sure how to interpret this turn of events. Jay wanted her; she didn't doubt that, hell the evidence was quite clear as she pressed against him just how badly he wanted her. Its not that she wouldn't be content with a night of Sons of Anarchy like they had planned, she just missed him.

"I'm not shutting you down. Believe me, I want to go upstairs but we can't." Jay explained, once again glad that those years of torture training in the Army came in handy. Resisting Erin Lindsay pulled at his self-control more than any beating ever would. He made brief eye contact with her that nearly broke his resolve, "Have you been watching without me?"

His voice carried an edge that was all too familiar to Erin. Jay might be the strongest man she had ever met, but he was breakable. And Erin was going to enjoy being the one to do it.

"Maybe a little." She conceded, turning towards him, tucking her feet beneath her and resting her elbow on the back of the couch, "you know I have a thing for leather and motorcycles."

"Me too." Jay stammered as Erin traced his jawline with her free hand, "Well, not the kind of thing you have clearly. I'm going to get one of those beers Voight mentioned, can I get you anything?"

He jumped off of the couch with such speed that Erin could barely contain her amusement. She decided to follow him into the kitchen, perching herself up on the counter as he took a pull from his beer.

"Hi, again." She smiled as he moved towards her and placed his beer to her right.

"Hi." He responded before leaning in for another kiss, her magnetic pull once again winning out.

Erin locked her legs around his waist to keep him from pulling away as their kiss intensified; certain Voight's request was the furthest thing from his mind. She smiled into him as his hands began to move through her hair before settling on her cheek.

"Mind if we watch were we left off, I know you watched a couple without me but I don't want to miss anything." Jay questioned as he managed to pull away from her lips, his forehead resting lightly against hers.

"I thought we were done allowing Hank dictate our relationship." Erin countered, slightly flustered.

"He trusts me with you, Erin. Supports it even. I don't want to ruin that." Jay explained before lifting her with one hand and grabbing his beer in the other.

"I'll get you upstairs." Erin warned as she settled into his side while he started the episode.

"If I can handle being tortured by four men I think I can handle you." Jay laughed before taking another drink from his beer; slightly bothered the taste of the brew was replacing the taste of her on his lips.

"Are you seriously comparing me to being tortured by four men?" Erin questioned, pulling her face from his chest to look into his light eyes.

"Not comparing, there's no competition. Your kind of torture is far worse, trust me." Jay laughed as he began to draw patterns on her arm with his fingers.

"You know, a girl could really be offended here. Comparing the chance for sex with being tortured by four men. You're lucky I love you – I'll cut you a break and not take this personally." Erin teased, feeling Jay once again tense up beside her.

"You what?" Jay questioned, moving away from Erin slightly so he could see her full on.

Erin instantly knew what Jay was referring to, she felt him tense and his heart race the second she uttered the words, "I love you, Stupid. Isn't that obvious?"

"You've never said that before." Jay commented, not even bothering to hide the goofy smile that spread across his face.

"We talk about it a lot in therapy – its important to let the people you love know. I'm sorry I didn't do it sooner." Erin responded, emotion filling her voice as she reached out to hold his face.

"I love you, too." He answered instantly, the emotion in his voice matching her own.

"Duh." Erin began to laugh before Jay cut her off with a searing kiss, pushing her back into the couch. "Well, if I knew that an I love you was all it took, I would have saved myself from looking like a fool for the past hour."

"Say it again." Jay commanded as he hovered over her.

"I love you." Erin could hardly get the words out before being covered again by Jay's kisses. "I thought you said we couldn't go upstairs?" She questioned after they finally broke for air.

"Who said anything about going upstairs?" Jay's face broke into a mischievous grin, "He never said anything about this couch."

Her laughter filled the air as the pair quickly removed each other's clothing. Enjoying the opportunity to show one another the love they just shared.

Erin awoke the next morning in her bed, having crawled into it after Jay left the night before. She floated down the stairs as memories filled her mind, she could still hear Jay's 'I love you's' fluttering through her ears. She wished she could have taken a picture of his face when she said it for the first time. That goofy smile made her knees go weak.

"Morning." Hank offered from the small kitchen table, reading the post while drinking what Erin knew had to be his third cup of coffee.

"Morning." She called back as she glided towards the coffee pot, smiling as she leaned against the counter where she kissed Jay the night before.

"Sleep well?" Hank questioned, not bothering to look up from the paper.

"Like a rock." Erin confirmed as she opened the fridge for some milk.

"Glad to hear it."

"How was poker?" Erin called from the fridge as she continued to prepare her morning brew.

"Not so good. The luck appeared to be elsewhere last night." Hank deadpanned, stopping Erin in her tracks.

"You don't say." She responded, hoping Hank didn't spot her momentary freeze.

"I know I wasn't on board before, Erin, but Halstead…Jay I mean. I like him for you. He makes you happy, he's good for you." Hank began to stumble as he rose from his chair to put his coffee cup away, "I guess what I'm saying is. Well, Camille always talked about the kind of guy she saw you with, turns out she saw Jay coming long before either of us did. I'm happy for you, kid."

"Thanks, Hank." Erin whispered into his ear as she jumped into his arms.

"Don't mention it." He answered as he released her from his tight grip, "Its just good to see you happy."

"I am happy." Erin affirmed before turning back to her mug.

"Good." Hank called as he made his way to the front door. "Oh, but, Erin?"

"Yea, Hank?"

"You and Halstead owe me a new couch."

[AN: Just a thought that had been playing in my mind since the couch spoiler began to be thrown around. Please review, and as always, be kind to one another!]


End file.
